comfort food

Mapo tofu is Max Sussman’s desert-island Meal. As in, if you had to live on a desert island and could have only one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be? That question doesn’t make any sense. How could you be stuck on a desert island with a lifetime supply of mapo tofu, or any other dish, for that matter? Totally illogical question, same honest answer: mapo tofu.

Every once in a while we just have to pat ourselves on the back for doing something we haven’t seen in other cookbooks. We aren’t entirely sure we’re the first to make a brisket patty melt using corn bread, but we are sure this is the best version out there. A vast improvement on the close-to-perfect patty melt is enough to make us feel pretty good about this recipe. When you start seeing this on the menu of every chain restaurant in America in five years, just remember who thought of it first.

Those of you in certain parts of the country (you definitely know who you are) are going to need a little extra fuel to make it through this marrow-chilling winter freeze. Don't try to survive it on salad — it's not going to happen. Thankfully, hearty meatballs, a bounty of root vegetables and the occasional poached egg fortify these delicious winter soups with the kind of rib-sticking goodness that makes you want to go out, dig your car free and be somebody. Somebody who can't wait for spring.

February can be a little dull in the kitchen. But consider this: You can't make cassoulet in the summer. I mean, you can. But don't. Nobody will come over for heavy sausage and confit-laden stew in the summer. But everyone will come over for that in February. Ditto for steak 'n' ale casserole and French onion soup. With all this in mind, here are a few other recipes we're relying on to make it to spring.

One of my favorite cold-weather dishes celebrates three of my favorite cold-weather ingredients: potatoes, bacon and cheese. It's tartiflette, and if you've ever attempted to survive a winter in the Alps (or the northeastern United States), it's a dish you'll want to know intimately. Pour it a glass of wine. Seriously, pour wine right in there — the potatoes will love you for it.

I cringe to think of my girlfriend’s reaction to me making a classic tuna noodle casserole, but I still love the idea of it. That’s why I decided to revive the old favorite and completely revamp it. This is a Japanese-influenced version with soba noodles and miso cream.

You may have heard there's a storm a comin' right for us. This is fact, and the urgency to stock up, hunker down and pack on hibernation fat is real. Well, maybe not the hibernation fat thing, but certainly the rest. Behold: 12 hearty winter comfort dishes that are not messing around. There's bone-in braisables, melty, stretchy cheese, meaty soups and rib-sticking pasta and potato bakes. You'll need your strength to dig out your car.